Brake.



PATENTED MAR. e, 1906.

H.BEATTY.

BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH BEATTY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH BEATTY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes, of

which the following is a specification, referare intended for safety-brakes and may be readily associated with the ordinary brakes commonly used upon cars. To this end I have constructed a set of brakes which can be easily applied to the present type of car and quickly operated by the motorman or operator of the car.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and referring to the drawings accompanying this application like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in WhlCh- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a car equipped with my improved brake, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

In the accompanying drawings Ihave illustrated a portion of one end of a car 1, said car being of a conventional type adapted to travel u on rails 2 2. In connection with the plat orm 3 of a car I have illustrated my improved brakes; but I desire it to be understood that both ends or platforms of the car 1 may be equipped with my improved brakes.

The brakes consist of two depending brackets 4 4, secured to the bottom of the car, as at 5 5. The lower ends of the brackets 44 are provided with slots 6 6, and mounted in said slots is a transverse shaft or axle 7, upon which are mounted cog-wheels 8 8, said wheels being adapted tov mesh with racks 9 9, arranged upon the inner sides of the rails 2 2.

Mounted upon the shaft or axle 7 is a fric tion-wheel 10, around which passes a flexible metallic strap 11, having its one end secured, as at 12, to a transverse rod 14, arranged between the brackets 4 4, while its opposite end is connected to a rod 15, pivotally connected to a lever 16, which is fulcrumed, as at 18, between the lower ends of depending brackets 19 19, said brackets being carried by the platform 3 of the ear 1. The opposite end of the lever 16 is pivotally connected to a plunger 20, said plunger extending upwardly through an opening formed in the platform 3 and being provided with a tread or button 21. A coiled spring 22 is interposed between the tread or button 21 and the platform 3, whereby the plunger will be normally held in an elevated position.

To normally retain the sprocket-wheels 8 8 out of engagement with the racks 9 9, cables 23 23 are connected to the axle or shaft 7 by sleeves or straps 24 24, which permit of the shaft or axle 7 revolving when suspended by the cables 23 23 or when engaging the racks 9 9. The cables 23 23 pass upwardly into the body of the car over pulleys 25 25, the ends of the cables being provided with weights 26, whereby the shaft or axle 7 and its appurtenant parts will be normally elevated slightly above the racks 9 9. The upper ends of the cables 23 23, together with the pulleys 25 and the weights 26, are preferably arranged in the framework of the car, whereby they will not be exposed to view and will be suitably housed and protected.

The platform 3 of the car 1 is provided with two depending segment-shaped slotted brackets 27 27, and mounted in said brackets is a transverse rod 28. The rod 28 is loosely connected with the shaft or axle 7 by bars 29 29, and the one end of the rod 28 is provided with an upwardly-extending lever 30, which passes through an opening 31 in the platform 3 of the car and is pivotally connected to the platform, as at 32. The lever 30 is provided with a locking-lever 33, adapted to engage a segment-shaped rack 34, carried by the platform 3. The locking-lever 33 and the rack 34 are of conventional form and are simply employed for holding the lever 30 in an adjusted position.

O eration: As shown in .the accompanying rawings, the cog-wheels 8 8 are engaging the racks 9 9 and are revolving together with the shaft or axle 7. Should it be desired to elevate the cog-wheels 8 8, the locking-lever 33 of the lever 30 is released, at which time the weights 26 through the medium of the cables 23 will elevate the shaft or axle 7 and the cog-wheels 8. To again lower the same into engagement with the racks 9 9, the lever 30 is moved by the operator of the car, which through the medium of the bars 29 29 forces the shaft or axle 7 downwardly in the brackets 4 4. To retard the movement of the axle or shaft 7 and the cog-wheels 8 8, the operator or motorman of the car presses upon the button or tread 21, which through the medium of the lever 16, rod 15, and band 11 frictionally engages the wheel 10, and as said wheel is mounted upon the shaft or axle the movement of said shaft will be retarded and may be eventually stopped by further depressing upon the tread or button 21.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have devised positive means for gripping the surface over which the car travels, said means being adapted to gradually stop the car without suddenly arring the same 'and possibly derailing the car. I preferably construct the brake mechanism just described of strong and durable metal, which will withstand the rough usage to which braking mechanisms are generally subjected.

Such changes in the construction and operation of my improved brakes as are permissible by the appended claims may be re sorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a oar-brake, the combination with a car, of depending slotted brackets carried by the platform of said car, a shaft mounted in said brackets, cog-wheels mounted upon said shaft and adapted to engage'racks mounted upon the surface over which the car travels, a Wheel mounted upon said shaft, a band engaging said wheel, means to move said band 1nto engagement with said wheel, means to elevate said shaft, and means to lower shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a car, and the rails over which said car travels, of dependin brackets carried by said car, a shaft journa led in said brackets, cog-wheels mounted upon said shaft, racks mounted adjacent to said rails and adapted to be engaged by said cog-wheels, weighted cables connected to said shaft and extending upwardly into said car, to normally hold said shaft in an elevated position, means to lower said shaft, means to lock said means in a fixed position, and means to retard the movement of said shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a brake, the combination with a car and the rails over which it travels, of brackets carried by said car, cog-wheels revolubly supported by said brackets, racks mounted adjacent to said rails and adapted to be engaged by said cog-wheels, means to normally hold said wheels in an elevated position, means to lower said wheels, means to lock said wheels in a lowered position, and means to retard the movement of said wheels, substantially as described.

4. In a brake, the combination with a car, and the rails over which it travels, of cogwheels revolubly supported beneath said car, racks mounted adjacent to said rails and adapted to be engaged by said cog-wheels, means to normally hold said wheels in an elevated position, means to lower said wheels, and means to retard the movement of said wheels, substantially as described.

5. In a brake, the combination with a car and the rails over which it travels, of racks mounted adjacent to said rails, revoluble cog-wheels carried by said car and adapted to engage said racks, means to raise and lower said wheels, and means to retard the movement of said wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HUGH BEATTY.

Witnesses:

E. E. POTTER, O. KLOSTERMANN. 

